Best Glute Exercises
Doing specific exercises that strengthen your glutes can improve not just your aesthetics, but also your strength and performance in any sport. Additionally, strengthening your glutes can reduce your risk of injury, especially for your knees and lower back. Strengthening your glutes is so important. That is why I compiled this list of the twenty three best glute exercises.
Each of these exercises helps you build your glutes for better strength, sport performance and aesthetics. Without further ado, let’s move on to the list.
Barbell Low Bar Back Squat
This exercise is great for building strong legs and glutes.
Position the bar on your rear deltoids, hands in as close as possible and elbows under the bar. Stand with feet under the bar, about hip width apart. Take a big breath in and squeeze your glutes to stand back. Wait for the bar to settle. Take one foot back, then the other foot. Make a final stance adjustment. Take a big breath in and brace your core. Sit Down, pushing knees out, until your hips descend slightly lower than your knees, keeping back straight. Stand up aggressively out of the bottom position. Exhale, and then repeat by taking another breathe in and sitting down. Try three to four sets of two to eight reps with this exercise.
Barbell High Bar Back Squat
The squat exercise is slightly more quad dominant than the low bar back squat, but it is still an excellent choice for building your glutes.
Position the bar on your upper traps, hands in as close as possible and elbows under the bar. Stand with feet under the bar, about hip width apart. Take a big breath in and squeeze your glutes to stand back. Wait for the bar to settle. Take one foot back, then the other foot. Make a final stance adjustment. Take a big breath in and brace your core. Sit Down, pushing knees out, until your hips descend slightly lower than your knees, keeping back straight. Stand up aggressively out of the bottom position. Exhale, and then repeat by taking another breathe in and sitting down. Try two to five sets of five to 12 reps.
Barbell Front Squat
This exercise trains your quads and glutes hard with less stress on your knees and lower back. This might be a better choice for those with meniscus injuries or bad backs because the bar position limits the load you can use. Otherwise, the front squat is a great choice for glute training.
Position the bar on your AC joints, upper arms horizontal in front and fingers underneath the bar (if this is painful, use wrist wraps to hold the bar). Stand with feet under the bar, about hip width apart. Take a big breath in and squeeze your glutes to stand back. Wait for the bar to settle. Take one foot back, then the other foot. Make a final stance adjustment. Take a big breath in and brace your core, pulling elbows up. Sit Down, pushing knees out, until your hips descend slightly lower than your knees, keeping back straight. Stand up aggressively out of the bottom position. Exhale, and then repeat by taking another breathe in, lifting elbows and sitting down. Try two to four sets of three to twelve reps.
Dumbbell High Step up
This is an awesome unilateral exercise to improve hip and knee stability, as well as train the hips, knees and ankles through a full range of motion. You can hold weights by your side or in the goblet position, either will provide unique benefits. This exercise is also very good for your heart.
Face a high box. Put one foot up on the box, with foot, hip and knee in alignment. Keeping chest up tall and knee aligned over the center of your foot, press up with top leg and glute until you are on top of the step. Slowly descend top foot to the floor while keeping knee and hip alignment. Try two to three sets of six to 15 reps per side.
Dumbbell Lateral Step up
Similar to the dumbbell high step up, this exercise trains your glutes and legs but also your hip stabilizers.
Stand to the side of a box. Put one foot up on the box, with foot, hip and knee in alignment. Keeping chest up tall and knee aligned over the center of your foot, press up with top leg and glute until you are on top of the step. Slowly descend top foot to the floor while keeping knee and hip alignment. Try two to three sets of six to 15 reps on each side.
Dumbbell Walking Lunge
This classic exercise builds your legs and glutes. Like the others on this list, this one will get your heart rate up and will burn a lot of calories too.
Stand with dumbbells in each hand by your sides. Step right in front of your hip, and then sit down, bending both knees to 90 degrees. You can also take slightly longer steps for a greater glute stretch. Try two to five sets of six to 15 reps per side.
Bulgarian Split Squat
This challenging exercise trains your glutes, quads and hamstrings.
Stand in front of a bench or step that is about 1 foot to 1.5 feet high. You should be about 2 feet in front of the box. Put one foot behind you on the bench. You should be in a split stance position. Sit down until your back knee nearly touches the ground. Then ascend up to the top of the position. Try two to four sets of six to 12 reps per side.
Goblet Squat
This exercise builds strong legs and glutes and spares your spine.
To perform this exercise, hold a dumbbell like a goblet, underneath the head of the dumbbell. Keep the dumbbell close to your body, elbows down and shoulders back. Keeping your back straight, sit down into the squat, until your hip crease is lower than your knees. Keep your heels down and back straight. Try two to three sets of eight to 15 reps.
Kneeling Squat
This unconventional exercise is a fun twist for glute training.
Get into a kneeling position on your knees (put a mat underneath). With your chest tall, hold a dumbbell like a goblet against your body. While keeping back flat, press your hips through into a tall kneeling position. Try two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps with this exercise.
Conventional Deadlift
The conventional deadlift strengthens your glutes but also your hamstrings, lower back, grip and many other muscle groups.
Set up a barbell with 45 lb. plates on each side. Position your feet about hip width apart, with midfoot positioned underneath the bar. With spine in a neutral position, bend at the hips and knees until your hands reach the bar. Pull your knees into the bar, into elbows, pull your chest up, take a big breath in and push through the floor. Exhale at the top and then push your hips back to put the bar down. Try two to five sets of two to eight reps.
RDL
This exercise allows you to target your hamstrings, lower back and your glutes. You will feel a big stretch in your hamstrings and glutes.
To get started, hold a bar or pair of dumbbells in front or to the side of your body. Keeping back straight, push your hips back and get a stretch in your hamstrings, before returning to the start position. Try two or three sets of eight to 15 reps per side.
Single Leg RDL
This exercise can strengthen your core and help prevent back pain by strengthening the oblique sling. It’s also a self-limiting exercise, meaning you can still get a training effect with lighter loads. Like the other exercises on this list, it will also build strong glutes.
Hold a dumbbell in one hand, close to your body. Push your other leg back, letting weight descend in line with your other leg. Stay square through your hips and feel a stretch in your hamstring. Pull back to the starting position. Try two or three sets of eight to 15 reps.
Split Stance RDL
This is a fun hybrid exercise between the traditional and single leg RDL. It provides more stability and balance than the single leg RDL while strengthening each glute independently.
Place one foot about one foot in front of the other leg. Feet should be on tracks in front or behind hips. Position your back heel up. Keeping weights close to your body, push your hips back, feeling a stretch in your front hamstring and glute. Try two to three sets of eight to twelve reps per side.
Barbell Hip Thrust
This exercise builds strong glutes without loading your spine.
Set up a step with four or five risers. Next, position a bar with 45 lb. plates on each side. Position yourself in a seated position with your hips on the floor, but shoulder blades propped up on the bench. Slide the bar over your hips (with a pad or mat over your hips). Take a deep breath in, brace, and press through your heels, powering glutes up until you are in a flat table top position. Hold one count at the top and then return to the start. Try two to four sets of three to 15 reps.
Single Leg Hip Thrust
This version of the hip thrust places greater emphasis on the hip stabilizers, which can help prevent injuries.
Set up a step with four or five risers. Position yourself in a seated position with your hips on the floor, but shoulder blades propped up on the bench. Lift up one leg and keep it up. Take a deep breath in, brace, and press through your heels, powering glutes up until you are in a flat table top position. Hold one count at the top and then return to the start. Try two to four sets of eight to 15 reps per side.
Glute Ham Raise
This one takes a piece of specialized equipment called a Glute Ham Developer, but if you don’t have that, you can have a partner hold your feet.
Position your feet in a fixed position, quads on the pads of a GHR. Start in a flexed hip position with back flat. Contract your glutes and hamstrings together to extend your hips and flex your hamstrings. Keeping back flat, slowly return to the start position. Try two to three sets of three to eight reps.
Sumo Deadlift
This is one of my absolute favorite movements for glute strengthening. You get a ton of bang for your buck. In addition to strengthening your glutes, you also strengthen your lower back, quads, hamstrings, abductors and adductors. And it’s less stressful on your back than a conventional deadlift due to the more upright posture.
Set up a bar with 45 pound plates on each side. Position your feet in a wide, sumo stance so that your knees will set up right over your heels when you sit down to the bar. The center of the foot should be under the bar. Drop your hips just until your hands reach the bar. Pull your knees out, take a big breath in to brace, pull your chest up and push down and out with your feet. Squeeze your glutes at the top, and then push hips back and bend knees to put the bar down. Try two to six sets of 2 to 10 reps.
Sumo RDL
This exercise builds strength in your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, adductors and abductors. It is an awesome move.
Set up similar to the regular RDL, but position your feet wide with toes turned out. Push your hips back and open as you descend, keeping the weights close to your body. Then return to the start position. Try two to five sets of six to 15 reps.
Band Glute Walk
You will perform this exercise standing. Position a mini band right below your knees. Bend knees slightly and assume a hip width stance. Keeping feet facing forward and knees pressing out into the band, take small side steps. You should feel the side of your glutes. Try two to three sets of 12 to 15 reps per side.
Fire Hydrant
This exercise builds strength in the side glutes. This one really causes your glutes to burn.
Position yourself on all fours, hands underneath shoulders, and knees under hips. Keeping hips square, lift your bent knee until it is level with your hip. Hold one count and then return to the start. Try two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps per side.
Seated Hip Abductions
This exercise builds your side (or medial) glutes.
Position a band above your knees, and then assume a seated position with feet close together. Keeping back straight, open up knees, hold one count, and then return to the start position. Try two to three sets of 15-20 reps.
Side Lying Clamshell
This exercise builds strength in the sides of your glutes, or your medial glute muscles.
Position a band over your knees, then assume a side lying position. Put your bottom hand on your opposite shoulder, top hand on the floor in front of you. Bend your knees to about 60 degrees, keeping feet in line with your torso and your knees in front of you. Keeping your top hip still, lift your knee, squeeze your glute, and then return to start. Try two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Clamshell with Hip Lift
This exercise incorporates torso and oblique strengthening while building strength in your medial (side) glutes..
Perform a normal clamshell, but add a hip lift simultaneously with each rep. Hold one count and then return to the start position. Try two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps per side.
Best Glute Exercises of All Time
Those are my favorite exercises for strong glutes. What do you think? Are you going to try any of these? Let me know in the comment section below.
